The Mass Effect
by Readergirl37
Summary: Elejah Mass Effect AU. No need to know anything about Mass Effect to read, all will be explained. If you don't know what Mass Effect is-think space war au. Slowburn Elejah.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I do not own Mass Effect or Vampire Diaries.

So this is just the prologue, setting up the basis for the fic, more will be coming soon and I've been working on this for a few weeks! I love Mass Effect and Elejah so this will be fun, no one needs to research Mass Effect to understand this fic. The italicized is directly from Mass Effect one.

* * *

 _In the year 2148, explorers on Mars discovered the remains of an ancient spacefaring civilization. In the decades that followed, these mysterious artifacts revealed startling new technologies, enabling travel to the furthest stars. The basis for this incredible technology was a force that controlled the very fabric of space and time._

 _They called it the greatest discovery in human history._

 _The civilizations of the galaxy call it..._

 _The Mass Effect._

* * *

"Are you sure Commander Gilbert is fit to be considered for joining the Spectres?" the Ambassador asks.

"She's got the record to back it up, everyone heard what she did during the Skyllian Blitz. There's no one more suited for Spectre status in the Alliance that I've met. Gilbert could very well be the first human Spectre, Ambassador," Captain Anderson reminds him.

"We'll see how she handles this mission, the Spectre assigned to it will judge if she's ready. Until then, all we can do is wait," the Ambassador sighs.


	2. Eden Prime

AN: Okay background information: Spectres are top agents who answer only to the Citadel Council and they take orders straight from them. The Council is the only thing Spectres answer to.

Triarii are the species Elijah and a few other characters will be, loosely based off Turians in culture (for those who might already like Mass Effect). Also to people who might already know Mass Effect- I'm getting rid of the Prothean arc and First Contact War, this won't be exactly like the game.

The Alliance is the government and military that represents humanity for quite a large area of space. The Alliance helps keep humans and human colonies safe and wants to be part of the Citadel Council.

If a character isn't recognizable from TVD, they're straight from Mass Effect.

* * *

"Spectres are trouble. Every time a Spectre is around, something big is going down. Call me paranoid, but I don't like having having Nihlus on board," Joker says and Stefan laughs.

"You _are_ paranoid. The Council helped this project continue, of course they're going to send someone to check on their investment. Who better than a Spectre? No red tape and they answer directly _to_ the Council," Stefan Salvatore points out and Joker rolls his eyes.

"That's the official story anyway. You know something's up. It's _Eden Prime._ It's a tiny human colony, barely anything there," Joker reminds him.

"They don't send Spectre agents on shakedown runs. Something's up," Elena agrees. Stefan turns his head sharply to look at her. Anderson begins to talk to Joker about their status, how long until they're on Eden Prime.

"How long were you there, Commander?" Stefan asks.

"Long enough," Elena says and Joker stifles a laugh at that.

"Tell Commander Gilbert I want her in the comm room for debriefing," Captain Anderson says and Joker looks back to Elena.

"On my way," Elena says. Hopefully she'll get some answers to why they have a Triarii Spectre on an all human Alliance ship when they're testing stealth systems. The SSV Normandy is a fairly new ship, but it's odd that Captain Anderson is in charge he is, he's one of the most decorated people in the Alliance Captain Anderson is almost overqualified to be running the ship especially on a small stealth mission. Add that to checking on a tiny human colony at the edge of the Terminus Systems, something's up.

* * *

"You're on your way to see Captain Anderson, aren't you?" Corporal Jenkins says and begins to walk next to her.

"Yes I am," Elena confirms and he nods.

"It's going to be weird going back to Eden Prime. I mean, I was born and raised there. Joined the Alliance because I got bored of it. It's so small. But something must be going down because we have a Spectre on board. A Triarii Spectre no less! Something's going on, and I hope I get to finally see some action!" Jenkins says.

"Calm down. Getting riled up can get you hurt and affect how you think during a mission," Elena reminds him and the excitement fades.

"You're right. I just want to prove myself, get the Alliance brass to notice me and I want to do that as soon as possible. You don't have to prove anything, you held off an entire enemy fleet during the Blitz by yourself, you already got noticed. Maybe someday you'll be a Spectre or something," Jenkins says.

"Spectres usually come from Council races and we're not on the Council. Maybe someday we'll have human Spectres, but that's probably not today. If you'll excuse me, I need to speak to Captain Anderson," Elena says, they're almost to the comm room. Jenkins nods and heads back. The clean metal of the ship reminds her of every other ship she's been on, but every ship is just a little different. When the doors open to the comm room, she only sees Nihlus.

"Commander Gilbert. I was hoping you'd get here before Captain Anderson, it gives us the chance to talk," Nihlus says conversationally. Triarii look almost human, but it's the little details that show they aren't. Nihlus has cheekbones that are sharper than those of most human men, green irises that are too bright to be human. Or at least natural for a human, his people have all kinds of eye colors humans don't; along with the advantages of being a Triarii, the strength and speed.

"What do you want to talk about?" Elena asks carefully.

"Eden Prime has become a symbol to humanity, hasn't it? A paradise that proves you can establish and keep your colonies. At least, so far," Nihlus says and she keeps her face impassive.

"If you have to say something, just say it," Elena says. Nihlus looks at her with a calculated look.

"Humanity is still new compared to other races out there and the galaxy is a dangerous place. Is the Alliance really ready for this?" he asks and she thinks there's a deeper meaning to the words, there must be. The Alliance can handle a test run at Eden Prime, they aren't that new to the game. The door opens and Elena relaxes slightly, Captain Anderson is a welcome presence.

"I think it's time we told the Commander what's going on and why we're here," Captain Anderson says and her eyes flicker between the two before Nihlus speaks.

"This isn't a test for the Normandy. This is a test for _you_. We need to do a pickup of an important artifact. That's why we're on the Normandy, that's why the stealth systems are on," Nihlus says concisely.

"A research team on Eden Prime found technology that's about fifty thousand years old. We need to get it on the Normandy and deliver it to the Citadel for study. Eden Prime is too small to study or protect it," Captain Anderson says. The last time there was something like this, technology jumped forward two hundred years. It all makes sense, but she wonders what she's being tested for.

"A discovery like this could affect everyone in Council space, it makes sense we should get it to the Citadel," Elena says and she can see the approval in both sets of eyes that are looking at her. A Spectre would make sure it gets to the Citadel, a more corrupt group might keep it for themselves or sell it, it's starting to fit into place.

"What am I being tested?" Elena asks.

"I want to see you in action. I'm here to evaluate you to see if you could be a Spectre," Nihlus informs her and she looks to Captain Anderson.

"You know the Alliance has been pushing for human Spectre candidates for a long time. Humanity wants a seat on the Citadel Council and a bigger say in helping shape interstellar policy.

The Spectres represent not only the Council but their own races and planets, it'll be a huge step forward for humanity.

"Your records have proved you quite capable, especially your work during the Skyllian Blitz. You've shown courage, skill and a level head throughout your career. I see the potential in you and your species, humanity has a lot to offer to the Spectres and the galaxy. That's why I nominated you for consideration. We are an elite group but we look at abilities before race. We only care that the job is done and done well. Eden Prime will be the first in a series of missions that will let me see your skill firsthand." Nihlus says.

"Gilbert, you'll be in charge of the ground team, secure the artifact and get it onto the ship ASAP. Nihlus will accompany you to observe," Captain Anderson says and Elena nods, about to speak.

"Captain! There's a problem with Eden Prime- I'm sending this to the comm room screen," Joker says and shaky footage appears.

"Get down!" A woman pushes the cameraman down and the view looks up to the sky, something is attacking the soldiers but there's too much movement to see who or what it is.

"We're taking heavy casualties! We need evac! Repeat, need evac immediately!" The man yells and the camera in his helmet focuses on other soldiers for a moment, flashes of blue light and a dark ship in the sky that reminds Elena of a hand. The video stops and Joker resumes speaking.

"That's it, everything cuts out after that and I haven't been able to reach anyone on Eden Prime. We're the closest ship and we're still seventeen minutes away," Joker says.

"Get us there fast and quiet, Joker. Things just got a lot more complicated," Captain Anderson commands.

"A small strike team would be ideal to grab the beacon," Nihlus suggests and Captain Anderson nods.

"Grab your gear and meet in the cargo hold, and tell Salvatore and Jenkins they're coming with you," he says and Elena nods.


	3. Beacon

AN: I want your opinions: do you want longer or shorter chapters for this fic? Also I know this reads as confusing, but Mass Effect throws you into the games like how this fic has gone so far. Also Elijah will be next chapter.

* * *

"Drop point one," Joker announces. Nihlus is a flash of red armor before he jumps out.

"Your team is grabbing the beacon, go hard and fast. Helping survivors is a secondary objective. Nihlus will scout out ahead and tell you if he finds anything. I want radio silence other than that. Good luck," Captain Anderson says. Salvatore and Jenkins look to her as she nods.

"Drop point two," Joker announces. Time to move.

* * *

"It smells like death and smoke," Stefan says. The air is thick and a little too hot. Jenkins leads the way, his eyebrows scrunched together.

"I can't believe someone attacked Eden Prime. It's never going to be the same," Jenkins sighs. He's not wrong, Elena thinks as they move behind a few rocks. Eden Prime has mostly been uneven terrain and large boulders at this point, there isn't grass like other planets. It's been quiet, too quiet and the area beyond offers no protection.

They all have heavy armor on, shields up, helmets on now. They keep moving, watching, waiting, as they walk where the map suggests. There's nothing for a few minutes, until a few bright blue drones make themselves known. Time always seems to slow down when she shoots, she gets three and Salvatore gets the other two-they look to Jenkins at the same time. He's completely still, dead on the planet he was born on.

"We'll make sure he gets a proper burial once the mission is complete. Mark this place on our map. We'll be back. Until this is over, I need you to be focused," Elena says. Salvatore nods and they keep moving, finding more drones.

"Gilbert, I've got a lot of bodies and burned buildings here. I'm going to investigate, I'll meet you three at the dig site. Nihlus out," he says. There's not a point in getting on the radio to correct the Spectre, that there's only two of them. The map shows them going through some trees before they can get to the dig site, and they're massive when they come into view. The trees are giants, if they wanted to see the top they'd have to move their heads back and squint. They make nice cover as they run into more drones, Salvatore's not a bad shot and they keep moving.

"That's not a drone," Stefan says as they see a flash of white running a few yards away, drones close behind them. Elena shoots and so does he, the drones drop to the ground broken, riddled with a few bullets.

"Let's move," Elena orders and he follows. There's four figures, one in white, one in yellow and two figures that don't look human. Robots, likely being controlled by whoever's using the drones. The person in yellow screams and the body is tossed to the ground as the figure in white runs, disappears out of Elena and Stefan's view. There's a few shots before they can reach the person, Elena shoots the robot she can see.

"Thank you. I thought I was going to die," the woman says before she stands straight.

"Gunnery Chief Caroline Forbes of the 212. Are you the one in charge?" Caroline asks and Elena nods.

"Are you wounded, Forbes?" Elena asks.

"Nothing major, a few scrapes and burns. The others weren't as lucky as me. We were patrolling the perimeter when those-things hit. We tried to get a distress call but I don't know if it went out, our communications went out within a few minutes of that. I've been fighting for my life since, my squad tried to double back to the beacon and into an ambush. I think I'm the only one left," Caroline says and takes a moment to catch her breath.

"It's not your fault. You couldn't have done anything to save them," Elena reminds her and Caroline looks up.

"Yes ma'am. We held our position as long as we could until the geth overwhelmed us. We did our best," Caroline replies.

 _Holy shit._

The geth were robots with limited programming by the Quarians. The geth were supposed to just be helpful robots but became self aware, turned on the Quarians and forced them to leave their own planet. After that the geth disappeared behind the Perseus Veil and been quiet ever since, if Elena remembers correctly.

"The geth haven't been seen outside the Veil in nearly two centuries. Why here? Why now? What are they after?" Stefan rattles off questions none of them have answers to.

"Probably the beacon. Can you take us there, Forbes? We could use your help," Elena asks and the other woman nods.

"I can do that. Eden Prime was quiet until they uncovered that artifact. I heard someone call it a beacon and say it could be the find of the century. We were brought in to secure the area about a week ago. The 232 was with the researchers who set up camp near the site, we might run into them. Life was normal a few hours ago," Caroline says and they take a moment to digest that information.

"Have you seen a Triarii Spectre around here?" Elena asks and Caroline shakes her head.

"You're the first people I've seen in a while. This is a human colony, I haven't seen any Triarri around. I don't think I'd be able to tell if one was a Spectre anyway. I might have missed him though," Caroline offers.

"If you saw him, you'd know. He carries enough firepower to kill an entire platoon. He's on our side, thankfully," Stefan informs her.

"Haven't seen him," Caroline says as they move closer. More geth drones are up ahead, and Stefan sighs as he reloads his gun behind a boulder.

"Just another day at the office," he says and Caroline laughs as they take out the drones. The dig site's a few yards away and Caroline swears.

"The beacon is gone. If we're lucky, our side took it and it's at the camp. If there's any survivors around here, that's where they'll be," Caroline says and leads the way.

"Gilbert, change of plans. There's a small spaceport I'm going to check out. I'll meet you there. Nihlus out," he says. Caroline leads them to the camp, black smoke is coming off the camp building.

"We should check for survivors. Just in case," Stefan suggests and they do a quick sweep of what once used to be a fairly nice facility.

"This door is locked," Caroline says and her fingers dance around the keypad to unlock the door.

"Shut the door! What if the geth come back?" A voice says and another hushes him before they can see the room, cramped with boxes and inventory, two chairs and a table where two people in lab coats sit.

"Don't worry, we'll protect you. We need to get out of here though, this facility's on fire," Elena says and the woman nods.

"We were still in here when those geth attacked. We saw them through the blinds, they killed those marines stationed here. I thought the screaming and the gunfire would go on forever. Then it just was silent. I was almost scared to breathe, we were worried you were geth when you opened the door," the woman admits as Stefan leads the way out the room, through the halls, Caroline walks next to the scientists and Elena is behind them.

"You're Doctor Warren, the one in charge of the excavation. What happened to the beacon? It's not here and it wasn't at the dig site, we just checked." Caroline tells her.

"It was moved to the spaceport this morning. The others had more information than we did, we were supposed to be gone already. Manuel here is my assistant. We stayed behind to help pack up the camp. I'm afraid we don't know much and we haven't seen much," Doctor Warren admits.

"Have you seen a Triarii in the area?" Elena asks and the doctor shakes her head.

"Yes, he had blue armor. Or at least I thought it was a Triarri, he moved too quickly to be human and he didn't look like geth. Manuel and I tried to stay hidden, we didn't get a good look. He's still in shock, I don't know if he can tell you anything else," Doctor Warren explains, gesturing to her assistant as they leave the building.

 _Blue armor? Nihlus was wearing red. Unless he changed it._ Caroline asks if they need any more help, and Elena refocuses.

"We know where to go, thank you. We'll get someone to pick us up," Doctor Warren says and takes Manuel's hand before they disappear into a small building, barely bigger than a shed.

* * *

"Saren," Nihlus smiles. It's nice to see a familiar face, even if it's a face that should be on a different planet.

"This isn't your mission. Why are you here?" Nihlus asks and Saren walks closer, slight grin on his face. He keeps walking until he's behind Nihlus.

"I'm here because the Council thought you could use back up. Geth beyond the Veil-the situation went from bad to worse." Saren informs him.

"It's good to have you here," Nihlus says honestly, another Spectre can't do any harm.

"Don't worry, it's under control," Saren assures him as Nihlus looks around, about to look at his friend. The shot is clean and quick.


	4. Citadel

AN: Got rid of the smuggling part and Volus and elcor. They don't add to the story and I think they're important and all, but I don't think they're needed for this. Hope this was long enough!

* * *

"Gunshot. Do you think-" Caroline trails off.

"We don't know. Let's just get to the spaceport," Elena says. It's not going to do any good to think and wonder about the source of the shot they just heard.

"That's not-that's not your ship is it?" Caroline asks and points to the dark shape in the sky, it looks like a hand with the fingers close together and Stefan swears.

"Not our ship. Look out!" Stefan yells and they duck before they shoot more drones, next to a shed. It's less drones than they expected, but if that was the geth ship and they left with the beacon, there wouldn't be a need for drones.

"Are they gone?" A man asks and they look at the shed, three people inside.

"They're gone. It's safe to come out," Elena promises and there's a woman with short hair, the man who first spoke, and an older man with white hair.

"Are the triarrii behind it? I saw one in blue armor and one of the others said they saw another in red armor," the woman with short hair says.

"Then there's two. Ours and another one," Caroline mutters, Elena can barely hear her say it. Questions don't yield much more information and they get to spaceport within a few minutes.

"Nihlus," tears out of Elena's throat. It's stupid to speak when they could be ambushed, there's no cover out in the open and there are crate everywhere. A rustling sound has three guns aimed at a container.

"I'm human! Don't shoot!" A man slowly moves from behind the crates.

"I was hiding from those creatures. I saw that Triarii in the blue armor shoot the one in the red armor," the man says.

"Tell us exactly what happened," Elena says, the words are somewhere between a command and a request.

"The one in blue got here first. He was waiting when your friend showed up, your friend called him Saren. They seemed like they knew each other. Your friend was looking at something and Saren shot him. I hid, I'm damn lucky neither of them saw me," the man tells them, fidgeting.

"We were told a Prothean beacon was brought here. Where is it?" Caroline asks.

"It's on the other platform, where that Saren guy was headed. He hopped on the cargo train right after he killed your friend. I knew that beacon was nothing but trouble, everything's gone to hell since it was discovered. Everyone died, I don't know how they didn't see me," the man sighs. Stefan marks where they are on the map, they'll come back for Nihlus's body.

"Can you tell us anything else about the attack?" Elena asks.

"It was so fast I almost missed it. The ship landed and within a minute and those geth were everywhere. They shot anything that moved, killed everyone, I ducked behind these crates and I haven't moved since I heard you," the man says.

"We need to go get that beacon," Elena says.

* * *

"Destroy the entire colony. Don't leave any evidence that we were here," Saren commands and the robot in front of him nods.

* * *

"Those bombs are used for demolition, we need to disarm them and then get to the beacon," Elena says and Stefan and Caroline nod. They split up as Elena begins to disable the first bomb. This mission went sideways so quickly, it's probably a record. The mass of metal and wires beeps and Elena lets out a sigh of relief, moving to find the others.

"We only found two other bombs, got them disabled," Caroline says and they take cover as they see geth.

"Must have left a few of them behind," Stefan says as they begin to shoot the robots until they're all broken parts. It's a few moments and a set of stairs before the beacon comes into view, a long piece of metal set into a sloping metal base that almost looks like it's glowing green.

"Normandy, the beacon is secure. Requesting immediate evac," Elena says into the comm, waiting for a response.

"I had no idea it was so massive, I only saw part of it when they were digging," Caroline says and Stefan steps closer to take a better look.

"This is amazing. Working Prothean technology, right in front of us," Stefan says and Caroline nods.

"It wasn't doing anything like it is now when I saw them digging it up though, especially not glowing," Caroline looks at it for a long moment.

"Then something must have activated it," Stefan muses and takes a few more steps.

"Roger, Normandy, standing by," Elena says into the comm, they'll be picked up soon. Stefan walks closer and the beacon lights up, and he moves forward, pulled to it.

Elena pulls him back, pushes him to Caroline who grabs him. The beacon begins to pull her closer instead, and Elena watches it glow so brightly it hurts her eyes before it explodes, black smoke pouring out of it. Caroline and Stefan are talking but she doesn't catch the words as her eyes close.

* * *

"We've identified the other ship that landed on Eden Prime-a human Alliance ship called the Normandy, under the command of Captain Anderson. They saved the colony. The beacon was destroyed," Benezia says.

"We're going to destroy them all," he promises.

* * *

"Doctor Chakwas? She's waking up," Stefan says and Elena blinks a few times before she knows what she's staring at, and sits up.

"You had us worried there, Gilbert. How are you feeling?" Chakwas asks and Elena closes her eyes for a moment. Chakwas is staring at her with concern on her face.

"What happened? How'd I end up in medbay? How long was I out?" Elena asks.

"Something went wrong with the beacon, I think. It exploded and that knocked you out. You've been out for fourteen hours," Chakwas says.

"It's my fault. I must have triggered a security field when I got too close. You had to push me out of the way," Stefan says, guilt clear in his voice.

"You had no way to know that was going to happen," Elena says as she looks at him.

"We don't know what set it off. Unfortunately because it's destroyed, we won't get to find out. Or learn any of its secrets," Chakwas sighs.

"The blast knocked you out cold, Forbes and I had to carry you back to the ship," Stefan says.

"Thank you," Elena says. Stefan nods. The door to medbay opens and Captain Anderson walks in.

"Physically, you're fine. Hello Captain Anderson," Chakwas smiles.

"That's good to hear. Gilbert, I need to speak with you, in private," Captain Anderson says and Stefan looks to him.

"I'll be in the mess if you need me Captain," Stefan says and Captain Anderson nods. Chakwas follows after him, the door shutting behind them.

"It sounds like that explosion hit you hard, are you sure you're okay?" Captain Anderson says and Elena nods, slight smile on her lips before she speaks.

"I'm fine. But we had no idea what we were walking into down there. That's why things went to hell," she says honestly.

"Still, the geth haven't been seen outside the Veil in two centuries. There was no way anyone could have predicted what happened, that they'd be on Eden Prime," Captain Anderson reminds her.

"Did we leave Gunnery Chief Caroline Forbes on Eden Prime?" Elena asks carefully.

"No, I figured we could use a soldier like her. She's been reassigned to the Normandy," Captain Anderson says.

"Good to hear. She's a good soldier," Elena tells him.

"Lieutenant Salvatore agrees with you, that's why I added her to our crew," Captain Anderson tells her and she thinks of Jenkins, the excitement in his eyes before she told him to be calm.

"Did we get Jenkins? I want to make sure he gets back to his family," Elena says, throat tight. She hates anyone dying around her, but she hates it when anyone dies under her command.

"Jenkins wasn't your fault. You did your best. We did get him, Salvatore made sure we got his body and Nihlus's while you were out," Captain Anderson says.

"I won't lie to you. Things look bad. We have a dead Spectre, a broken beacon, and the geth attacked a human colony. The Council is going to want answers," he reminds her.

"We did all we could. There's no way we could have known about the geth or that the beacon would explode the way it did," Elena sighs.

"I'll stand by you and your report. You're a damn hero in my books. That's not why we need to talk. It's about the other Spectre, Saren. He's one of the best, a living legend. If he's been working with the geth, that means he's gone rogue. A rogue Spectre is dangerous, and Saren hates humans. Thinks we're growing too fast and taking over the galaxy, a lot of other aliens think that. Most of them don't _do_ anything about it, though. He's allied himself with the geth, and the only thing we know is that the beacon was involved," Captain Anderson says.

"And the beacon's destroyed. Now we don't know what was on it or if he got that information before we did. And he killed Nihlus, according to that man we found at the spaceport. We have other witnesses who say they saw someone in armor that looks like Saren's, and the shot was too close to be something from the geth," Elena admits carefully, she's not sure what Forbes and Salvatore have told him, what they put in their reports.

"I know Saren and I think he killed Nihlus. I know his reputation and his politics. He believes humanity is a blight to the galaxy. Attacking one of our colonies was an act of war. He has the secrets of the beacon and an army of geth at his command, if we're right. They're not going to stop until they get what they want, and Saren wants humanity extinct," Captain Anderson looks at her.

"I'll find a way to take him down," Elena says automatically. Taking down a Spectre though, already sounds daunting enough before he speaks again.

"He's still a Spectre, can do anything, go anywhere. We need the Council on our side. If we can prove he's gone rogue, the Council will revoke his Spectre status," Captain Anderson says and Elena understands what he's implying. It'll be easier to go after Saren if the laws apply to him.

"I'll contact Ambassador Udina and see if he can get us an audience with the Council. He'll want to see us and your team from Eden Prime when we reach the Citadel station. We should be there in an hour, so grab some food, do what you need to do. I'll call your team up when we reach the Citadel," Captain Anderson says. Hot water and hot food don't sound bad at all.

* * *

Caroline looks up when she sees Elena.

"I'm glad to see you're okay. The crew could use good news after that mission," Caroline smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes.

"Jenkins will be missed," Elena says. This is a new crew, new ship, she doesn't know the crew as well as she'd like, but there's barely been any time to get to know anyone.

"I feel-part of me feels guilty over what happened, if Jenkins was alive I might be back on Eden Prime," Caroline confesses.

"You're a good soldier, Forbes. You belong here on the Normandy. How are you holding up? Did Doctor Chakwas check you out?" Elena asks.

"Yeah, she checked me out. I think it's more mental than physical. I've seen friends die before, comes with the job. But seeing my unit get wiped out was-" Caroline trails off.

"Things could have been a lot worse if the Normandy hadn't shown up. Thanks for saving my life and taking me with you," Caroline says sincerely.

"Salvatore and I couldn't have pulled that off without you. Don't sell yourself short," Elena says and Caroline smiles. It's not a big smile but Elena didn't expect a huge smile anyway.

"Thanks. I have to admit I was kind of worried being here, but everyone's been really welcoming," Caroline admits, looking down for a moment.

"We're glad to have you here, Forbes," Elena says.

"Thanks, Commander," Caroline says.

* * *

"Good timing, Commander, I was just about to bring us into the Citadel. See that taxpayer money at work," Joker grins. The Citadel is massive, an impressive station, home to millions of people. It always takes her breath away a little.

"Citadel Control, this is SSV Normandy, requesting permission to land," Joker says and waits.

"Stand by for clearance, Normandy," a voice replies. There'a few second pause before Citadel Control speaks again.

"Clearance granted, you may begin your approach. Transferring you to an Alliance operator," the voice says.

"Roger, Alliance Tower, Normandy here," Joker says.

"Normandy, this is Alliance Tower, please proceed to dock 422," a human voice says.

* * *

"This is an outrage! The Council would step in if this was a _Turian_ colony!" Ambassador Udina exclaims angrily.

"The Turians don't found colonies on the borders of the Terminus Systems, Ambassador," the salarian Councilor replies. The Council holograms are orange and still as they watch him.

"Humanity was well aware of the risks when you went into the Traverse," the asari Councilor reminds him.

"What about Saren? You can't ignore a Rogue Spectre! I demand action!" Udina tells them.

"You don't get to make demands of the Council, Ambassador," the turian Councilor says, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Citadel Security is investigating your charges against Saren. We will discuss the C-Sec findings at the hearing. Not before," the triarri Councilor informs him and the holograms turn off.

"Captain Anderson. I see you brought half your crew," Ambassador Udina says as he turns to look at them.

"Just the ground team from Eden Prime, in case you had any questions," Captain Anderson informs him. Caroline looks to Stefan and resists the urge to roll her eyes.

"I have your mission reports. I assume they're accurate?" Udina asks, looking at them with hard eyes. He's a few inches taller than Captain Anderson, but not as imposing.

"They are. It sounds like you've managed to convince the Council to give us an audience. Thank you," Captain Anderson says. Caroline makes a mental note to ask Stefan or Elena what the relationship between the Ambassador and the Captain is, she can't tell if they're being civil or if they don't like each other at all.

"They were not happy about the accusations that their top agent's guilty of treason," Udina closes his eyes for a moment.

"It's the truth. Saren's a threat to every human colony out there. He needs to be stopped and the Council has to listen to us," Elena finally speaks. Captain Anderson doesn't disagree but Udina looks irritated.

"Settle down, Commander. You've already done enough to jeopardize your candidacy for being a Spectre. The mission on Eden Prime was to see if you could get the job done. Instead of returning with a priceless artifact, you returned with Nihlus's dead body and the beacon was destroyed!" Ambassador Udina retorts.

"That's Saren's fault, not hers," Captain Anderson reminds him.

"Then we'd better hope Citadel Security has something to support our accusations. Otherwise the Council might use this as an excuse to keep you out of the Spectres or worse. Come with me, Captain, I want to discuss a few things with you before the hearing. Gilbert, you and your team can meet us at the Citadel Tower, top level. I'll make sure you have clearance to get in," Udina promises before he begins to walk away, Captain Anderson next to him.

"That's why I hate politicians," Stefan sighs.

* * *

"Do you think we'll ever get a human Spectre?" Stefan wonders. Caroline nudges him and gestures to Elena. They're making their way to the Citadel Tower slowly, they've got some time to kill.

"Spectres are usually from Council races. Maybe when we join the Council. It reminds me of those old James Bond movies. Wasn't there one called _Spectre_?" Caroline asks and Elena smiles slightly. They pass by a few blue asari wearing colorful dresses who look at them briefly. They almost look like blue human women save for the fringe at the back of their heads and the lack of hair on them. One shoots a look to Stefan who doesn't see it.

"There was. But they get the name Spectre from the branch of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance. The job is about preserving galactic stability and resolving situations that can't be handled through normal political channels. Spectres get extraterratorial rights and jurisdictions and only answer to the Council. It's a lot of responsibility, not just ordering martinis and avoiding getting shot like Bond used to," Elena says.

"So the Council races are the asari, the salarians, the triarri, and the turians. And the turians and triarri joined at the same time right? And aren't they still making Bond movies back on Earth?" Stefan asks. Caroline laughs quietly.

"I think so," Caroline answers, eyebrows scrunched together as she tries to remember. Her mom would know, Caroline thinks but doesn't say it.

"About 1,304 galactic standard years ago is when the turians and triarri joined the Council. I wonder if Citadel Security has anything on Saren. It's pretty hard to find anything on Spectres and they usually work alone," Elena wonders, and Caroline takes the information in.

"C-Sec is law enforcement for all parts of the Citadel, and officers are from every race that lives here, including humans. I think the current C-Sec head is turian. I wonder who's working the case," Stefan says. They pass a few turians. Caroline sneaks a quick look at them, at least the asari and triarri look sort of human. Turians look like tall dinosaur birds that are bipeds, they're all over six feet with odd faces and it's weird to see them so up close. Caroline doesn't realize she's watching the turians until Elena taps her shoulder and her head jerks back to what's in front of her.

"You okay, Forbes?" Elena asks.

"Uh, yeah. Just not used to aliens, I guess," Caroline says, avoiding Elena's eyes.

"Gonna have to get used to aliens. We're aliens to them too," Stefan jokes lightheartedly. So much of the Citadel is made of metal but Elena loves the trees and plants they managed to incorporate into the layout of the level they're on. Elena touches the back of her braid and brushes a flower petal from one of the trees out of it.

"I wonder what it'd be like to live here," Stefan wonders as they pass a few salarians and humans.

"Expensive, probably," Caroline shrugs.

* * *

The Citadel Tower has too many stairs.

"Were elevators not invented when they built this part? Or do they just enjoy the look and exercise of the dozen sets of stairs and levels to get up to the Council?" Caroline complains and Stefan laughs quietly.

"It's not a dozen. Probably," he says as they follow Elena up the first flight, they can see more ahead. There's someone in blue and black armor talking to a turian in a white and black uniform up ahead. Elena tilts her head slightly as they walk closer to them. Elena recognizes the turian, he's the head of C-Sec, Executor Pallin.

"I don't have anything on Saren and you know that," the man says and the turian nods.

"Your investigation is over," Pallin says and the man nods. Executor Pallin walks away and the man turns to look at them.

"Commander Gilbert? Elijah Mikaelson. I was the officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren. As you most likely heard, I couldn't find much," he says and Elena looks at him for a moment. He could be human but he could also be triarri.

"What did you find?" Elena asks.

"Nothing substantial. Nothing that the Council would think of as evidence, unfortunately. It's hard to get anything on Spectres," Elijah notes and Elena nods.

"It sounds like you want to take him down," Elena says and waits to see how he responds.

"I don't trust Saren. Something about him rubs me the wrong way. But everything he touches is classified and I couldn't find any hard evidence," Elijah says, looking at her and Elena holds the stare.

"I think the Council hearing will be in a few minutes," Stefan says and Elena makes a noise of agreement.

"Good luck, Gilbert. Maybe they'll listen to you," Elijah says and Elena smiles slightly.

"Thank you," Elena says and Elijah begins to walk away. There's six more sets of stairs, fountains, plants and people to see before they reach Captain Anderson.

"Just in time," he says and they follow him up another flight of stairs.


	5. Tali

"The geth attack does warrant concern. But there is nothing that indicates Saren was involved with that in any way," the asari councilor says.

"The investigation by Citadel Security turned up no evidence to support your charge of treason," the Turian councilor adds. Elena thinks of the C-Sec officer they saw for a moment.

"An eyewitness saw him kill Nihlus in cold blood!" Ambassador Udina exclaims.

"We've read the Eden Prime reports. The testimony of one traumatized dockworker is hardly compelling evidence," the salarian councilor says. Elena looks at the Council and then to Saren's hologram.

"I resent these accusations. Nihlus was my friend and a fellow Spectre agent. These humans are wasting your time, Councilors. And mine," Saren retorts.

"Do you have anything else to add?" the triarri councilor looks to Udina.

"No," Udina says.

"The Council has found no connection between the geth and Saren. Ambassador, your petition to have him removed from the Spectres is denied," the turian councilor says.

"I'm glad to see justice was served," Saren says and Elena's almost sure his hologram is smirking.

"This meeting is adjourned," the asari councilor says, Saren's hologram disappears.

* * *

"I know Saren. He's working with the geth for one reason-to wipe out humanity. Every colony we have is at risk, every planet we live in is in danger. Even Earth won't be safe from him," Captain Anderson says fiercely. Elena knows him well enough to know he's not exaggerating.

"Tell me about the history you have with Saren," Elena requests. Captain Anderson seems to have a strong opinion on him, this can't be the first time he's had an issue with Saren.

"I worked with him on a mission twenty years ago, in the Skyllian Verge. I was supposed to work with Saren to find and remove a known terrorist threat. Saren stopped the terrorist, but a lot of people died in the process. Innocent people. The official records covered it all up. But I saw him, saw how he operates. No conscience, no hesitation. He'd kill a thousand innocent civilians to end a war without a second thought. I know that sometimes it's a rock and a hard place out there, but Saren didn't have to cause those deaths. Saren didn't even look for another option. He's twisted and he's broken and he likes killing. And he knows how to cover his tracks. We shouldn't talk about this here. But I know what he's like and we have to stop him," Captain Anderson says quietly.

"Then we need to deal with Saren ourselves, the Council isn't going to help us," Elena concludes.

"As a Spectre, he's virtually untouchable. We need to find a way to expose him," Udina muses.

"What about Mikaelson, that C-Sec investigator? He investigated Saren. Might be useful," Stefan says.

"Gilbert, you're handling this. I don't want the Council using Anderson's history with Saren as an excuse to ignore evidence," Udina says. Elena looks to Captain Anderson and he nods.

"The Ambassador is right. I need to step aside," Captain Anderson agrees.  
"I need to take care of some business, Anderson, meet me in my office later," Ambassador Udina says and Anderson nods as Udina walks away.

"You should talk to Barla Von, over in the financial district. Rumor has it he's an agent for the Shadow Broker. The Shadow Broker's an information dealer, buys and sells secrets to the highest bidder. Barla Von's one of the top agents, but if he has information on Saren, it won't be cheap," Anderson advises. Elena's heard of the Shadow Broker before, buying and selling information is part of the politics game and the Shadow Broker happens to be one of the best players. The Shadow Broker doesn't get involved in politics, doesn't pick sides, just sells to whoever has the most money.

"Do you think they're still interested in Gilbert as a potential Spectre?" Stefan asks. Elena's pretty sure they have bigger problems but Captain Anderson answers his question anyway.

"Possibly. Spectres aren't made, they're born. They're the best of the best, and they've been watching Commander Gilbert for years. Nihlus was supposed to have more time to evaluate and give a final judgment to the Council-but with him gone, that's up in the air. There's not a Spectre command chain to talk to either. Spectres are sometimes assigned missions by the Council and other times, they act on their own like Saren just did. Good luck, if you need anything, I'll be in the Ambassador's office," Captain Anderson tells them.

* * *

Barla Von gave them information for free, Saren betrayed the Shadow Broker, somehow.

"Seems like he's betrayed a lot of people lately," Caroline comments. It's the only thing Barla tells them that was useful, other than an odd comment to see Doctor Chloe Michel.

"She runs a med clinic. It'll be worth your while to hurry and see her," Barla Von says. Caroline wonders if it's a trap, after they're out of his hearing range.

* * *

"I didn't tell anyone! I swear!" A woman says with a thick French accent.

"That was smart, Doc. Now if Mikaelson comes around, you keep your mouth shut or we'll-" the man trails off as he spots Elena, Stefan and Caroline.

"Who are you?" The human closest to the doctor asks. There's a few others with this man, but he seems to be the talkative one. The man wraps his arm around the doctor's throat as he asks the question.

"Let her go," Elena demands. A shot breaks the silence and Elena sees the man let go of the doctor familiar blue armor comes into view. Elijah Mikaelson, but there's not much time to socialize as they take out the rest of the men.

"Perfect timing, Gilbert. Gave me a clear shot," Elijah says and Elena looks to the doctor before she responds.

"Are you okay?" Elena asks her. The human doctor rubs the back of her head.

"I'm fine, thanks to all of you," Doctor Michel says.

"I know those men threatened you, but if you tell us who they work for, we can protect you," Elena promises, Elijah's Citadel Security, between them one of them can make sure she's safe.

"They work for Fist. They wanted to silence me, stop me from telling Elijah about the quarian. A few days ago, a quarian came by my office. She'd been shot but she wouldn't tell me what happened. I could tell she was scared, maybe on the run. She asked me about the Shadow Broker, wanted to trade information for a safe place to hide. I put her in contact with Fist-he's an agent for the Shadow Broker. Something must have gone wrong," Doctor Michel says, tucking bright red hair behind her ear. Elena looks to Elijah. A quarian. Quarians aren't usually seen by themselves and very rarely seen on the Citadel. They're never seen without their envirosuits due to their weak immune systems. Elena wonders how the one Dr. Michel treated handled being shot, a rip in her envirosuit could be dangerous.

"He doesn't work for the Shadow Broker anymore. Now, he works for Saren and the Shadow Broker isn't happy," Elijah says. Doctor Michel makes a noise of surprise.

"Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker? That's stupid of him. Saren must have made quite an offer," Doctor Michel says.

"That quarian must have something Saren wants, something worth crossing the Shadow Broker for," Elijah muses.

"She must have something that proves he's a traitor. Did the quarian mention anything about Saren or the geth?" Elena asks.

"She did! She said that the information she had to trade involved the geth!" Doctor Michel exclaims.

"Then she must be able to link Saren and the geth together. The Council won't be able to ignore this," Elijah says.

"We can't either. We need to find that quarian before Saren or his goons do. It's time we pay Fist a visit," Elena decides.

"This is your show, but I want to bring Saren down just as much as you do. Can I come with you?" Elijah asks and Elena nods. It'll be easier to get around the Citadel if they have someone who actually knows where things are, and the more the merrier and Elena tells him that. He smiles slightly.

* * *

Elijah knows where to find Fist, in an empty club.

"Stop right there!" a man points a gun at them. Elijah glances at them and then to Elena.

"Warehouse workers. All of the real guards must be dead," he says quietly.

"Stay back or we'll shoot!" the first one to see them says, a few more appear to point their guns at them.

"This would be a good time to find somewhere else to work," Elena says slowly and they look at her.

"That's Commander Gilbert," they hear one tell the others. Another worker speaks up.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. We'll just be going," he says and they lower their guns before walking away. Elijah leads the way deeper into the club, still lit by red and blue lights. Fist points a gun at Elijah and realizes he's outnumbered.

"Wait! Don't kill me! I surrender!" Fist says.

"Tell me where the quarian is," Elena says.

"I don't know. She's not here! That's the truth!" Fist says.

"Let's try this again. You have five seconds to tell me where the quarian is before I start shooting," Elena threatens. Fist blanches.

"She said she'd only deal with the Shadow Broker himself. Nobody meets the Shadow Broker. Ever. Even I don't know his true identity. She didn't know that and I told her I set a meeting up. When she shows up it'll be Saren's men waiting for her," Fist says.

"Where's the meeting?" Elena presses.

"The back alley by the markets, not far from here. She's supposed to meet them in a few minutes," Fist says.

"Am I just supposed to forget your role in all of this?" Elena wonders, head tilted and eyes narrowed.

"Hey I told you the truth! I told you about the meeting. I've got my own problems now. The Shadow Broker wants me dead! Forget me, I'm a ghost, I have to disappear. Don't worry, I won't cause trouble ever again," Fist seems spooked by her and the Shadow Broker, not that she minds.

"I know exactly where the meeting is," Elijah says.

"Good," Elena says.

* * *

"Did you bring it?" one of the men asks.

"Where's the Shadow Broker? Where's Fist?" the quarian asks. Her suit is purple, along with the smooth mask that covers her face.

"They'll be here. Where's the evidence?" the man promises.

"No way. The deal's off," the quarian says quietly. The man moves closer but after a few seconds of bullets, she's the only one left standing.

"Fist set me up. I knew I couldn't trust him," the quarian says.

"Don't worry about Fist, he got what's coming to him. Are you okay?" Elena asks.

"Then I guess I have two things to thank you for. I'm fine. Who are you?" the quarian asks.

"My name's Gilbert. I'm looking for evidence to prove Saren's a traitor," Elena tells her.

"My name is Tali. And I'm glad I have a chance to repay you for saving my life. But not here, we need to go somewhere safe," the quarian says.

"Udina's office. It's safe there and he'll need to know about this," Elena decides.


	6. Spectre

"You're not making my life easy, Gilbert. A firefight in the wards? Who's this? A quarian? What are you up to?" Udina narrows his eyes at them.

"Making your day, Ambassador. She has information linking Saren to the geth," Elena says, gesturing to Tali. Udina raises an eyebrow.

"Really? You might want to start at the beginning, Miss-" Ambassador Udina trails off.

"My name is Tali. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya," Tali tells him and Udina raises an eyebrow.

"We don't see many quarians here. Why'd you leave the Quarian fleet?" Ambassador Udina asks.

"We call it the flotilla. I'm on my Pilgrimage-my rite of passage into adulthood. It's a tradition among my people, when we reach maturity, we leave the ships of our parents and our people behind. We search alone, only returning to the flotilla when we've discovered something of value. With the discovery, we prove ourselves capable adults. It could be food or fuel, some type of useful technology we don't already have, or knowledge that might make our lives easier. We prove that we contribute to our community, rather than being a burden on limited resources. During my travels I began to hear reports of the geth. Since they drove my people into exile, they haven't been seen past the Veil. I was curious. I tracked a patrol of geth to an uncharted world. I waited for one to be separated from the group and I disabled and removed its memory core," Tali tells them.

"I thought the geth fried their memory cores when they died, like a self defense mechanism," Captain Anderson says and Tali nods.

"I managed to preserve part of the memory core. My people created the geth. If you're quick and careful and lucky, small caches of data can sometimes be saved. Most of the memory was wiped clean, but I salvaged something from the audio banks," Tali says and pulls out her omni tool, glowing orange over her hand and forearm. Sound plays.

"Eden Prime was a major victory. The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit," Saren says. Tali pauses the audio.

"That's Saren's voice, no doubt about it. This proves he was involved in the attack," Captain Anderson says triumphantly.

"He said Eden Prime brought them one step closer to the Conduit. Any idea what that means?" Elena asks. Caroline shrugs, Stefan's eyebrows are furrowed, Elijah looks lost in thought. Elena wonders what they're thinking.

"It must have something to do with the beacon. Maybe it's some kind of Prothean technology. A weapon," Captain Anderson guesses.

"Wait, there's more. Saren isn't working alone," Tali interjects and continues to play the audio file.

"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers," a female voice says.

"I don't recognize that voice," Udina frowns.

"Reapers? Are they a new species?" Elena asks.

"According to the memory core, Reapers were an advanced machine race that existed fifty thousand years ago. The Reapers hunted the Protheans to extinction and then they vanished. Or at least, that's what the geth believe. The geth revere the Reapers as gods, as the pinnacle of non-organic life. They believe Saren knows how to bring the Reapers back," Tali says.

"The Council is going to love this," Udina mutters sarcastically.

"The Reapers are a threat to everyone in Citadel space, we need to tell the Council," Elena says. If the Reapers return-the entire galaxy could be wiped out.

"No matter what they think about the rest of this, we have prove that Saren's a traitor," Captain Anderson reminds them.

"The Captain is right. We need to present this to the Council right away," Ambassador Udina agrees.

"What about Tali?" Stefan asks.

"Let me come with you when you take down Saren. I can help," Tali insists.

"I thought you were on your Pilgrimage," Elena says carefully.

"The Pilgrimage proves we are willing to contribute to the greater good. What does it say about me if I turn my back on this? Saren is a danger to the _entire_ galaxy. My Pilgrimage can wait," Tali says.

"I'll take all the help I can get," Elena says and wonders if under that purple mask, Tali's smiling.

"Thank you. You won't regret this," Tali promises and moves to stand next to her.

"Anderson and I will go ahead and get things ready with the Council. Take a few moments to collect yourselves, then meet us in the Citadel Tower," Ambassador Udina says.

* * *

"Excuse me, Commander Gilbert? Could you spare a moment of your time?" A man asks and Elena stops in front of him.

"Commander Gilbert? My name is Samesh Bhatia. Forgive the intrusion but I have nowhere else to turn," the man says. There are bags under his eyes, weariness in how he stands.

"It's no trouble. What can I do for you?" Elena asks. Caroline looks like she recognizes the man.

"My wife was a marine. She was in the 212 on Eden Prime. I've requested that my wife's body be returned to me for cremation, but the military has refused my request," Samesh says.

"Why did they refuse your request? There has to be a reason they're keeping her body," Elena says.

"I don't know. All I know is that they've declared it impossible for my wife to be returned to me," Samesh says quietly.

"There's no reason your wife's body should be held like this. Who's in charge of your case?" Elena asks.

"Mr. Bosker. I last saw him in that bar over there. Thank you for your time. I just want to give my wife the proper burial and respect she deserves," Samesh tells her and Elena nods.

"I know which bar he's talking about," Elijah says and Elena gestures for him to lead the way. The bar isn't very far from Samesh, and there's a few people drinking at tables together, but the man Elijah identifies as Bosker is sitting alone.

"My goodness, you're Commander Gilbert! Your activities made for quite a briefing in the Diplomatic Corps! Is there something I can do to assist you?" Mr. Bosker asks. He's young, looking at her with expectant eyes.

"Yes. A man named Samesh Bhatia is having some trouble claiming his wife's body," Elena says.

"Mr. Bhatia-a good man in an understandably frustrating position. I wish I could help him. Nirali Bhatia died on Eden Prime as her husband must have told you. But her wounds are inconsistent with any type of weapon damage we've seen before. That's why her body is being held," Mr. Bosker says and rubs the back of his neck with his hand.

"Do you think her body might be contaminated or dangerous to release?"

"No. What I mean is that her body is extremely valuable to the Alliance. The tests we're conducting may lead to better defenses against geth attacks. Respectfully, she might save more lives in death than she did in life. This is a long term study, I wouldn't expect the bodies to be released for a year or more. And very few bodies had this type of weapons damage, and few were in good enough condition to study Beyond that, we need as many bodies as we can get a reasonable sample size," Mr. Bosker says.

"When will this research result in actual new technology?" Elena asks.

"If we're lucky-we'll get usable technology from this study in a few years," Mr. Bosker says hesitantly, rubbing the back of his neck again.

"I understand what you're trying to do. But holding her body is wrong," Elena says.

"Commander, you of all people should understand how far we must go to protect humanity!" Mr. Bosker says.

"Not if we lose our humanity in the process. I'm out there fighting to stop things like this," Elena says quietly, a tinge of anger in her voice.

"Alright. You win. It was hard enough saying no to Mr. Bhatia. Tell Samesh that the body's going to be shipped back to Earth. I'll go see to it myself right now," Mr. Bosker says and walks away.

"I knew her. Nirali was in the 212 with me," Caroline says quietly. Elena puts a hand on her shoulder.

"If you have anything you want to tell her husband, this would be a good time," Elena says gently as they walk back to Mr. Bhatia.

"Hello Commander. Has there been any word?" Mr. Bhatia asks, and Elena smiles at him.

"I reminded Mr. Bosker what we're fighting for. Your wife is coming home," Elena tells him and he smiles back at the news.

"Thank you. I will return home and begin my preparations. It does not bring me happiness but it might bring me peace. Thank you Commander," Samesh says.

"Can I talk to you for a moment, Mr. Bhatia? I'm Caroline Forbes, former Gunnery Chief of the 212. I served with your wife," Caroline says quietly and Mr. Bhatia nods.

"Let's give them some room," Elena suggests to Tali, Stefan and Elijah. Caroline rejoins them after a few minutes, Mr. Bhatia has a smile on his tired face as he walks away.

"I told him a few stories and how much we all loved her and that I'm sorry for his loss," Caroline says and Elena nods in approval.

* * *

"Udina's presenting Tali's evidence to the Council," Captain Anderson says.

"You wanted proof. There it is," Udina says.

"This evidence is irrefutable, Ambassador. Saren will be stripped of his Spectre status and all efforts will be made to bring him in and make him answer for his crimes," the triarri councilor says.

"I recognize the other voice, the one who mentions the Reapers. Matriarch Benezia," the asari councilor says.

"Who's she?" Udina asks.

"Matriarchs are powerful asari who've entered the final stage of their lives. They're revered for their experience and wisdom. Matriarchs serve as guides and mentors to my people. Matriarch Benezia is a powerful biotic with many followers, she's a formidable ally to Saren," the asari councilor answers.

"I'm more interested in the Reapers, what do you know about them?" The salarian councilor asks.

"We know very little-what's left of the geth's memory core. The Reapers were an ancient race of machines that wiped the Protheans out. Then they vanished. The geth believe the Reapers are gods. And Saren is the prophet for their return. We believe the Conduit mentioned is the key to bringing them back, Saren's searching for it. That's why he attacked Eden Prime," Captain Anderson says.

"Do we know anything about this Conduit?" the turian councilor asks.

"Saren thinks it can bring back the Reapers. That's bad enough," Elena says.

"Listen to what you're saying! Saren wants to bring back the machines that wiped out all life in the galaxy-impossible. It has to be. Where did the Reapers go? Why did they disappear? How come we've found no trace of their existence? If they were real, we would have found something!" the triarri councilor says.

"If they're real, they could kill us all," Udina reminds them.

"We all agree Saren is using the geth to find the Conduit, but we don't know why," the asari councilor says carefully.

"The Reapers are obviously just a myth, Commander. An easy lie to cover Saren's real purpose, a legend he's taking advantage of to get the geth to bend to his will. Saren is a rogue agent on the run for his life. He doesn't have the rights or the resources of a Spectre. There's no way he could pull anything like that off now," the turian councilor points out.

"You know he's hiding somewhere in the Traverse! Send your fleet in to find him!" Udina says fiercely.

"We're not sending a fleet to find one person," the salarian councilor says crisply.

"A fleet could keep our colonies safe, keep the region safe from geth attacks," Udina reminds them. Elena can hear one of her team shifting their weight.

"Or it could start a war with the entirety of the Terminus Systems. We're not getting into a massive galactic confrontation over a few dozen human colonies," the turian councilor says.

"Then send me," Elena says. She can feel the weight of all the eyes on her, but continues.

"I can take down Saren," Elena says confidently.

"She's right. That would be a way to take care of our rogue Spectre without sending a fleet or an army," the asari councilor muses.

"It's too soon. Humanity is not ready for the responsibilities that come with joining the Spectres," the turian councilor says.

"You won't have to send a fleet into the Traverse and the ambassador gets a human Spectre. Then everybody's happy," Elena says. The councilors look at each other and there's a long breath before they look back to her.

"Commander Gilbert, step forward," the asari councilor requests, and she does just that.

"It is the decision of the Council that you will be given all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel," the triarri councilor begins.

"Spectres are not trained, they are chosen. They are individuals forged in the fire of battle and service-their actions raise them above rank or title," the salarian councilor says, and Elena wonders how many times they've practiced the Spectre speech, each saying a part.

"Spectres are an ideal and a symbol. They are the embodiment of courage, strength, self-reliance and determination. They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will," the asari councilor says.

"Spectre agents bear a great burden. They are protectors of galactic peace and they are both our last and first line of defense. They uphold the safety of the galaxy," the turian councilor says.

"You are the first human Spectre, Commander Gilbert. This is a great accomplishment for you and your species," the asari councilor says.

"I'm honored, councilor," Elena says. It's the right thing to say before the salarian councilor continues.

"We're sending you into the traverse after Saren. He is a fugitive and he has betrayed the Council- you are authorized to use any means necessary to apprehend or eliminate him. We will forward any leads and relevant files to Ambassador Udina," the salarian councilor says.

"This meeting of the Council is adjourned," the asari councilor says.

* * *

Anderson congratulates her and Udina begins planning.

"We've got a lot of work to do, Gilbert. You're going to need a ship, supplies, a crew-" Udina trails off.

"You also have access to special equipment and training now. You should go to the C-Sec Academy and talk to the Spectre requisitions officer," Anderson advises.

"I need your help planning a few things, Anderson," Udina says, leading him away. Elena looks at the people with her.

"We're right behind you, Gilbert," Tali says. Elena can't help but wonder if Elijah's going to stay on the Citadel, as they follow him to the C-Sec Academy.


	7. Normandy

"Looking you up," the C-Sec officer says and Elena nods.

"Commander Gilbert of the Alliance military, second time on the Citadel, is that correct?" the turian looks up, and Elena nods.

"That's me. I need to get supplies," Elena tells him and he taps a few things on the screen in front of him.

"Sounds good, let me look for-I think my system's glitched. It's showing that you're a Spectre? Are you that human Spectre?" he asks and Elena smiles.

"I am," Elena says and he shows her what they have, guns, ammo, armor. Elena buys what she thinks she'll need-they won't ship it until she actually has a ship. That's the next thing to figure out.

* * *

Something's wrong, Elena can tell by the way Udina glances at Anderson as they walk into his office.

"I've got big news for you, Gilbert. Captain Anderson is stepping down as the commanding officer of the Normandy-the ship is yours," Udina says and Elena watches Anderson cross his arms and nod. Anderson's been almost like a mentor to her for a while, she knows how to read him.

"The ship is quick and made for stealth-you already know part of the crew-it's perfect. Treat the ship well," Anderson says.

"What's going on? I want the truth," Elena says, looking to Udina and Anderson.

"It's time for me to step down. You need your own ship and a Spectre can't answer to anyone but the Council. I'll be working with Udina here on the Citadel to help you find Saren. I'm stepping down from the Normandy, not retiring," Anderson promises.

"We should get going, but you can contact us if you need help. I suggest you and the Normandy leave today, if you have everything you need," Udina says. Elena nods and they walk away.

"I want to come with you, to help stop Saren," Elijah is the first to speak.

"What about C-Sec?" Elena asks, and Elijah shakes his head.

"This is more important. And I've been thinking about quitting C-Sec for a while now," Elijah says. Elena bites her lip. He wants to come with them and they could use his talents. He waits and she nods.

"If that's what you want," Elena says carefully. He nods slightly.

"Okay. I'm going to give everyone the chance to get what they need and see who they need to see before we leave the Citadel. I'll tell the Normandy crew, they can go in shifts. We'll meet back here in four hours," Elena says. Hopefully that will give Elijah time to get his affairs in order and anything he might want to bring with him, she gets to see Jeremy, and everyone else will get ready to leave.

Elijah's the first to leave, keen on making the most of that time. Caroline goes with Tali to get her things, and Stefan disappears too.

* * *

"Hey, Spectre," Jeremy says when he opens his door. Elena rolls her eyes at him.

"Hey, artist," Elena mimics. Jeremy laughs and welcomes her into his townhouse. It's sort of a townhouse because while they have privacy and own it, there's more of them stacked together like an apartment. The Citadel has limited space, the buildings are usually pretty close together, and try to fit several people in one building. It's good to see her brother in person, she usually has to send him letters or they video call.

"Give me the details, I can't believe I had to hear from the news that you were a Spectre before you told me," Jeremy complains. Elena looks at his messy apartment, there's art supplies everywhere and a drying painting taking up most of his dining room table.

"Hey, word spreads fast on the Citadel. And I've been a Spectre for less than an hour, give me some slack here. I'll call Jenna and Alaric when I'm packing," Elena says, looking at the new art on the walls, the carefully painted stars, galaxies and nebulas on his ceiling. Elena sits on his couch and starts from the beginning, Nihlus, Jenkins, the aliens and the Normandy.

* * *

"We're so proud of you. Be safe," Jenna says and Elena grins.

"I will. How's Earth?" Elena asks. Alaric laughs.

"It's Earth, not much going on here, and that's the way we like it," Alaric says. After their parents died, Jenna took Jeremy and Elena in, and raised them on Earth. Still, Jeremy and Elena couldn't get off Earth fast enough, eager to see the galaxy. Elena's not sure how long she'll be gone, she wants a few extra things from her home before she leaves.

* * *

They don't technically _know_ where Saren is, but they know where he's sending geth and what he's after. Elena looks at a few documents Anderson sent, there's a few places they could start their search. Apparently the Matriarch working with Saren has a daughter-Liara. There are a few planets that have potential geth activity and they only know what star cluster Liara is in.

Stefan shows Caroline where to settle in, what she didn't grab from Eden Prime got sent to the Citadel for her to pick up. Caroline looks more relaxed with the duffle bag on her shoulder, Elena makes a note to check in on her later. She needs to check in on _everyone_ later. Tali walks in with Elijah, both with their own luggage and curious looks on their faces.

* * *

"I can't believe that happened to Captain Anderson. The man survives dozens of battles-and he gets taken down by backroom politics. If this mission goes badly-you're next on the chopping block," Joker says, shaking his head. Elena likes him, he's honest-doesn't mind telling her his opinion.

"Captain Anderson should be in charge. I feel like I'm stealing the Normandy from him," Elena says honestly.

"Yeah, getting stuck with a desk job after all he's done-he got screwed over, no doubt about that. It's not like you could have stopped it and no one's blaming you. Everyone on this ship's right behind you. If you want to say something to the crew, the intercom's open," Joker says.

"This is Commander Gilbert speaking. We have our mission: find Saren before he finds the Conduit. I'm not going to lie to you-this mission won't be easy. This began with an attack on Eden Prime but Saren and his geth armies aren't going to stay in the far fringes of Citadel space. Our enemy knows we're coming, knows that wherever he searches for the Conduit-we'll be there. We will hunt him to the end of galaxy and bring him down. We need to do this for the safety of everyone in Citadel space. Saren must be stopped and I promise we will _stop_ him!" Elena says. Joker nods with approval.

"Well said. Captain Anderson would be proud," Joker says.

"He gave up everything so I can have this chance. I'm not going to waste it. We can't fail," Elena says.

"Yes, ma'am. Where do you want us to go?" Joker asks.

"The Artemis Tau cluster. We have a lead that Matriarch Benezia's daughter is there," Elena says.

"Understood, plotting the course," Joker tells her, fingers tapping the screens in front of him.

* * *

"How are you doing?" Elena asks. Caroline smiles at her, looking up from her console.

"I like being here. Everyone seems really nice,. I think it's going to take time for me to adjust from living on a planet to living on a ship. I called my mom and let her know I'm fine, she heard Eden Prime was attacked and assumed the worst," Caroline says, tapping a few things on her screen.

"Good to hear it. Is she on Earth?" Elena asks, and Caroline nods, blonde ponytail bouncing slightly.

"She's in Mystic Falls, Virginia. Far away from all of this," Caroline tells her. Caroline looks busy, she'll mention that she has family in Mystic Falls another time.

"Good. I'll let you get back to work," Elena says.

"See ya, Commander," Caroline says.

* * *

Tali's settled in the crew quarters near engineering, bag unpacked on her bunk. Elena finds her with the engines and the glowing machinery that keeps the Normandy running.

"Hey Tali. Have a moment to talk?" Elena asks and Tali nods.

"Your ship is amazing, Gilbert. I've never seen a drive core like this-I can't believe you got one into a ship so small. I'm starting to see why you humans are so successful-I had no idea you had such advanced vessels!" Tali gushes and Elena can't help but smile at how excited she is.

"The Normandy's a prototype that has cutting edge tech. Not all of them are this advanced," Elena says.

"A few weeks ago I was fixing a makeshift fuel line into a converted ship in the flotilla-now I'm on one of the most advanced ships in Council space! Thank you for letting me join your crew, traveling on a ship like this is a dream come true," Tali says.

"You're into ships?" Elena asks, leaning against the wall.

"It's part of being a quarian. The flotilla is key to our survival-ships are our most valuable resource. We don't have anything like this in our fleet-we make do with cast-offs and secondhand tech. We keep everything running as long as we can. We still have ships from our original escape from the geth," Tali says.

"That was over 300 years ago, I can't believe your fleet's using ships that are that old," Elena says, thinking of Earth, humans hadn't even landed on the moon by that point.

"They're not in great condition-those ships are constantly getting modified and repaired. They're not the prettiest but they work, mostly. We try to make ourselves as independent as we can on the flotilla. We try to grow our own food, make our own fuel and equipment, that sort of thing. But there are some things we can't make ourselves-resources and upgrades we don't have. That's why our Pilgrimage is so important. If we can help the fleet, we help our species," Tali says.

"Let me know if there's anything I can do to make you more comfortable," Elena says and Tali laughs.

"Your crew and ship are perfect, Gilbert. Your engineers and I are learning a lot from each other," Tali tells her. A slight smile appears on Elena's lips.

"Glad to hear it, see you later, Tali," Elena promises.

"See you, Commander," Tali says, looking at the engine.

* * *

"How are you settling in?" Elena asks and Elijah looks up from the gun in his hands. There's a slight glitch he noticed his gun had earlier, he wants to get it fixed.

"The ship's great. The crew's quiet, but that'll change with time," Elijah says. Elena bites her lip.

"You don't regret leaving C-Sec?" Elena finally asks, and he shakes his head.

"I was good at my job, but I always felt like I should be doing something else. This feels right," Elijah says with such conviction that she knows she doesn't need to ask about it again. He's looking her with those intense eyes of his, they almost remind her of Nihlus-how he looked at her-intense and curious.

"I had a feeling like that when I joined the Alliance. I've never regretted it," Elena confesses. She gets it, she does-sometimes all she needs is an instinct. Something clicks and Elena looks at the gun in his hands, now in pieces on the table.

"I'll talk to you later, Elijah," Elena says and he nods.

"See you later, Commander," he says, watching her walk away.

They're going to get Benezia's daughter and take down Saren-but in the meantime, Elena's looking forward to getting to know her crew. Hopefully they take Saren down fast and easy, but things like this never go quite like the plan.


	8. Doctor Liara T'soni

The first few planets are empty-not much to see or fight. Elena's not sure if it's a good thing or not. It's a long day of almost nothing until they hit Therum. It's another hot, dusty and dry planet-but one with promise. There are Prothean ruins that Liara might be in, along with the fact there are geth to fight when they land-good signs they're close. The Mako looks like it's in good shape, Caroline grins when she sees it.

"That's an M35 Mako. It's the new standard Alliance infantry fighting vehicle. Perfect to handle any world, but small enough that it fits in our cargo bay," Stefan says. Caroline rolls her eyes at him as Elijah and Tali walk up.

"I only need three people with me. Stefan, keep Joker company, stay on the radio," Elena says and he nods.

"The rest of you, suit up," Elena says.

* * *

Therum is rough terrain, rocks, jagged mountains, dirt and hot. Caroline drives the Mako, it's a few minutes until they reach the mine.

There's a few geth guarding the entrance to the mine, it takes a few careful shots with the main gun to take them out. They're a stone's throw away from the entrance, it almost looks like a short cement tube from their position.

"Should I get closer?" Caroline asks. Elena shakes her head.

"Park here," Elena says.

* * *

It's surprisingly well lit as they walk down to the dig site, mining lamps are placed every few feet as they walk down a metal ramp. Elena stops when Elijah stops walking.

"Geth, dead ahead," Elijah explains and Caroline raises an eyebrow.

"You can hear that?" Caroline asks and he nods as they lean to see the geth, mechanically patrolling. Their bright, silver bodies stand out against the red soil that makes up the walls and ground.

"What are they guarding?" Tali asks. Elijah looks through the scope of his rifle and shoots them, quick and accurate shots. Elena's heard of how fast triarri move, but she didn't know if was _that_ quick-he did it all before she could blink.

"Let's go find out," Elijah says. Elena's almost sure she saw a grin, but the helmets they all have to wear makes it hard to tell. There are cells that look like someone scooped out part of the wall to make, glowing a dim blue. There's another that's electric blue, with an asari suspended in the air.

"I'm guessing they were guarding her," Caroline says.

"Um, hello? Can someone help me please?" the asari asks, voice echoing against the white tile of the cell. They walk closer, and the asari lets out a sigh of relief.

"Can you hear me out there? I'm trapped, I need help!" the asari calls, frantically.

"We hear you, loud and clear. Are you Doctor T'Soni?" Elena asks.

"Yes. This cell I'm in is a Prothean security device. I cannot move, I need your help to get out," Liara tells them.

"How'd you get trapped?" Caroline asks.

"I was exploring these ruins when the geth showed up. I hid in here. Can you believe that? Geth, beyond the Veil! I activated this cell's defenses, I knew that the barrier curtain would keep them out. But when I turned it on, I must have hit something. I wasn't supposed to. It must be turned off from the other side. I'm trapped in here, you must get me out, please," Liara insists.

"Your mother is working with Saren. Whose side are you on?" Elena asks and Liara's eyes widen.

"What? Saren's a Spectre- he's a good person. What's going on?" Liara asks.

"Saren killed another Spectre. I'm Commander Gilbert, the first human Spectre-I'm on a mission to hunt him down and stop whatever he's planning-he and the geth have already attacked a human colony," Elena explains.

"I miss one day of communication and news and miss everything," Liara mutters and Caroline stifles a laugh.

"I am not with my mother or Saren. I may be Benezia's daughter, but I'm nothing like her! I haven't spoken to her in years! You can interrogate me all you want, just please don't let me die in this cell," Liara pleads.

"We'll get you out. Just give us a few minutes," Elena promises and Liara nods.

"What are you thinking?" Caroline asks.

"There's a mining laser over there. If we can get under the cell, we can get to the button and deactivate the curtain," Elena says. Caroline raises an eyebrow.

"I can run it," Tali offers and Elena is thankful, she's not familiar with mining equipment.

"Really? We haven't even seen it yet," Caroline says, a little skepticism coloring her voice.

"I'm a quarian. I can make any technology work as long as it's working," Tali says. It doesn't sound like bragging, just truth.

"Caroline, Elijah, stay with Liara. I'll go with Tali," Elena says. Elijah nods and Liara watches them curiously. The laser is a stone's throw away from Liara and Elena watches Tali turn it on. The laser hums as it powers up and Tali fiddles with it before aiming under Liara's cell. Stone crumbles and they see Elijah and Caroline go investigate. Liara looks to the ceiling as dust falls onto their helmets.

"Any idea on how to get out of here? I think that laser caused a seismic event," Elijah says casually and they hear rocks shifting in the structures above them. Elena calls Joker and speaks before he can.

"Joker, get the Normandy airborne and lock in on my signal. We have Doctor T'soni," Elena orders and he makes a noise of agreement.

"ETA 8 minutes," Joker says and hangs up.

"This way," Liara says and they follow her into a new hallway, as they run into geth and a pleased looking turian. Elena moves in front of Liara, meeting the turian's gaze.

"Thank you for getting the doctor out, hand her over and we'll be on our way," the turian says.

"She'll stay with us, thanks," Elena says and Liara relaxes slightly.

"Not an option. Saren wants her. Saren gets what he wants," the turian says lightly, like they're discussing the weather. Elena moves her head slightly and Elijah gets the message.

The geth and the turian are on the floor before a minute passes and Caroline sighs.

"That's still super impressive," she admits. Liara covers her laugh with a cough as they run out, past gray stone and ancient structures. Boulders crash behind them, loud and echoing in the space.

"Why are the geth after me? Why is my mother with Saren? Who did Saren kill?" Liara fires off questions like Elijah fires with his sniper rifle.

"You're a prothean expert and they're looking for something called the Conduit, we can explain when we're on our ship and not buried in these ruins," Elena huffs as they finally see light, the exit. They're down the ramp and to the mako before the structure crumbles with a cacophony of noise and dust. The ground beneath their feet shakes violently and they wait for Joker.

* * *

Elena takes a few minutes to type her report of what just happened on Therum before she calls a few people for a meeting.

"That was too close, Commander. Another ten seconds and we would have been swimming in molten sulfur. The Normandy is cutting edge but it isn't equipped to land in active volcanoes. They tend to fry our sensors and melt our hull, just for future reference," Joker says dryly over the communication device on the table. Caroline lets out a quiet laugh along with Stefan. Elijah looks amused at the comment while Tali tilts her head slightly.

"We almost died out there and your pilot is making jokes?" Liara asks.

"It's a coping mechanism. It's a human thing. Some of us use them under times of stress," Elena explains. Understanding is plain on Liara's pretty blue face.

"Ah. I'm not used to dealing with your species. Thank you for saving me from the geth and that barrier curtain and Saren. I've spent the last 50 years trying to figure out exactly what wiped out the protheans, and I'm still not a leading expert on them. I don't know why Saren wanted me," Liara admits.

"Maybe your mom thought you'd work with her? Or he thought he'd use you as leverage," Stefan offers.

"Wait, how old are you exactly?" Elena asks, she doesn't remember seeing an age on anything she read about the asari.

"I hate to say it, but I am only 106," Liara admits.

"Damn. I hope I look that good when I'm your age," Caroline says and Liara blushes a blue a little darker than her skin.

"A century might seem long compared to a short lived species like yours. But among my people, the asari, I am considered barely older than a child," Liara sighs.

"That is why my research has not received the attention it deserves. Because I am so young, other asari scholars tend to dismiss my theories on what happened to the protheans. There is little evidence to support any theory, actually. It is almost like someone did not want the mystery of their disappearance solved-like someone came along after the Protheans and cleansed the galaxy of clues. But here is the incredible part-according to my findings, the protheans were not the first galactic civilization to mysteriously disappear. The cycle came long before them," Liara informs them.

Elena can't help the dread she feels at the thought-part of her knows that Liara is right-the others in the room look like they know it must be true too. Otherwise the galaxy would be advanced much farther than it is, and there would be records of those who came before them.

"How'd you come up with your theory? I thought there wasn't any evidence to prove anything," Elena asks.

"I've been working on finding any and every piece of evidence I could for the last 50 years. Patterns began to emerge and hinted at the truth. It's difficult to explain. I cannot point to one specific piece of evidence to prove my case-I just _know_ from half a century of dedicated research. I am right and one day I'll prove it. This cycle has repeated many times over. There's not much evidence on those who became the protheans either-someone does not want this mystery solved," Liara says.

"Or something," Elijah adds quietly.

"Our galaxy is built on a cycle of extinction. Each time a great civilization rises up, it is swiftly and violently cast down. Nothing remains but ruins. The protheans came from a single world and they grew to have an empire over the entire galaxy. Yet even they climbed to the top on the remains of those who came before them-their greatest achievements were mass relays and the Citadel-both based on the technology of those who came before them. Then, like all other forgotten civilizations throughout galactic history, the protheans disappeared. I have dedicated my life to finding out why," Liara informs them.

"We have our own theory, if you're interested in hearing it," Elena says and Liara nods.

"Tali, do you want to do the honors?" Elena asks and Tali nods.

"I managed to isolate a single geth and extract the memory core from it. It had evidence your mother is working with Saren and interesting data. The geth believe that the reapers were an advanced machine race that existed when the protheans did-and hunted the protheans to extinction. The geth think of the reapers like gods and think Saren knows how to bring them back," Tali says. Liara's eyes widen. It's been about fifty thousand years-if the reapers come back-they'll kill everyone in the galaxy.

"Can I hear your evidence against my mother?" Liara asks. Tali hits a button on her omnitool. It's going to take a few minutes to get her caught up with the rest of the group.

"I don't have any information on the Conduit. I'm afraid I cannot help you," Liara admits.

"We don't know why Saren wanted to kidnap you, but I think we'll be better off if we bring you along," Elena says and Liara gives her a relieved smile.

"Thank you, Commander. Saren might come after me again. I cannot think of anywhere safer than here on your ship. My knowledge of the protheans might come in handy later on. Along with my biotics, if it comes to that," Liara smiles gratefully.

"Good to have you on the team, Liara," Elena smiles back.

"Hey Commander, I've got a transmission from the Council coming in," Joker says.

"Patch it in, the rest of you are dismissed," Elena says. The others leave, Tali talks to Liara about setting up somewhere, and Elijah lingers before he goes, last one out of the room.

"Commander, I understand Dr. T'soni is on the Normandy. Is she safe there?" the asari councilor asks.

"She is," Elena confirms.

"I assume you're taking the proper security measures? The turian councilor asks.

"Liara is on our side. The geth were trying to kill her," Elena tells him. The asari councilor shakes her head and Elena waits.

"Benezia would never allow Saren to hurt or harm her daughter," the asari says, voice sure and strong.

"Maybe Benezia doesn't know. Maybe he planned to kidnap Liara as leverage," the triarri councilor offers.

"Maybe you didn't know Benezia as well as you thought you did," the turian councilor remarks. There are a few more questions about the ruins and the fact there was a turian with the geth that attacked on Therum before the call ends.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: It's been too long. I know it's been forever since I last posted, but trust me when I say my life has literally been insane and the _only_ reason I got this written to post is because I'm procrastinating cleaning, homework and packing. If anyone has any fics they want me to get to soon, PM me, I'll try to get to those first, I am going to be back regularly.**

* * *

"I prefer gold to silver-just so you know. For my medal. I figured you'd recommend me for one since I pulled your boots out of the fire," Joker says casually, hand posed dramatically on his beard and Elena holds her laugh in, she's in commander mode. There's not much to do, they've got time to kill before they arrive at their next destination. She hasn't really had a chance to get to know the Normandy crew yet, but she's pretty sure she's got Joker figured out, at least somewhat.

"Joker, if we present you with a medal, you'll end up sitting on a stage getting stared at while politicians make speeches for a few hours," Elena tells him and he chuckles. She has no doubt he has a few medals, he's a damn good pilot, and he seems like they only have an age difference of a few years.

"I hate that. They'd probably make me shave too, and I just spent six weeks growing out my beard. No medal's worth that, at least not to me," Joker says and Elena chuckles slightly.

"How's the Normandy doing?" Elena asks.

"She's the best ship in the fleet- _if_ you've got a pilot who knows how to handle her. Takes a while to get used to that oversized drive core we've got stuck in the back. The power can sneak up on you if you're not careful, the Normandy's probably _too_ much power for your average Alliance pilot, Commander. Lucky for you, I'm anything but average," Joker says. He's definitely confident in his abilities, and Elena doesn't mind, as long as he keeps them on course and alive, she's good with his confidence.

"So, Commander-tell me why you're really here," Joker's voice goes back to how it usually is, but tinged with uncertainty.

"I like to know my crew. We're all going to be together for a while, after all. Mind if I ask a few questions?" Elena asks lightly, Joker looks like he's on edge, the way he taps a few buttons in front of him just a little too hard. Joker scoffs, shaking his head before he speaks.

"I can see where this is going. You did a background check on me. Well I'll tell you the same thing I told Captain Anderson- _you want me as your pilot_. I'm not good. I'm not even great. I'm the _best_ damn helmsman in the entire Alliance fleet. Top of my class in flight school-I _earned_ that. All of those commendations in my file- I _earned_ every single one of them. Those weren't _given_ to me as _charity_ for my disease," Joker snaps, and Elena doesn't hide her confusion, she lets it show on her face. Maybe transparency will help in this case.

"What are you talking about? Are you sick?" Elena asks, genuine concern in her voice and Joker freezes.

"You mean you didn't know?" Joker wonders and Elena shakes her head.

"Oh. Crap. Okay, I've got Vrolik's Syndrome. Brittle bone disease. The bones in my legs never developed properly. They're basically hollow, too much force and they'll shatter. Even with crutches and my leg braces it's still hard to get around. One wrong step and crack! It's all very dramatic. But I've learned to manage my condition, Commander. Put the Normandy in my hands and I'll make her dance for you. Just don't ask _me_ to get up and dance, unless you want to hear snapping shin bones," Joker says and Elena nods.

"Noted. I promise I'll never ask you to dance. What made you join the Alliance?" Elena inquires.

"It's pretty boring. My mom was a civilian contractor who worked for the Alliance. I basically grew up on Arcturus Station, back when they were building up the fleets. Spend all that time around Alliance ships and there's a good chance you'll end up going to the Academy," Joker says and Elena nods. That's how she ended up joining, her dad was a doctor with the Alliance when she and Jeremy were growing up, but she doesn't say that.

"Where'd you get your nickname?" Elena asks, watching him tap a few different things on the glowing orange screens in front of him.

"Well, it's a lot shorter than saying Alliance Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau. Plus I like making kids laugh, joking around," Joker says and Elena waits for a moment. It doesn't sound as genuine as when he was talking about having Vrolik's Syndrome. Maybe it's not a lie exactly, but she knows it's not the entire truth.

"I didn't pick the name. One of the instructors in flight school used to bug me about never smiling. She started calling me Joker and it stuck," Joker admits, looking up at her.

"You never smiled?" Elena asks and Joker sighs.

"Hey, I worked my ass off in flight school, Commander. You and I both know the world's not going to hand you anything if you go around grinning like an idiot. By the end of the year, I was the best pilot in the Academy-even better than the instructors-and everyone knew it. They all got their asses kicked by the sickly kid with the creaky legs. One guess who was smiling at graduation," Joker grins and Elena takes that in.

"It was good talking to you, Joker," Elena says and he grins.

"Later, Commander," Joker says, glancing away from the screens in front of him for a moment to give her a brief wave.

* * *

Next, she's going to check on Liara-see if she's feeling okay.

* * *

"Commander, are you here to check up on me?" Liara asks and Elena nods. There's a nice understanding that they don't have much experience to go on, Elena doesn't know much about asari culture or customs and Liara's in the same boat about humans.

"You look much better. How are you feeling?" Elena asks.

"Dr. Chakwas assures me that I'm going to be fine. I was impressed with her knowledge of asari physiology," Liara says, leaning against the wall.

"You're in good hands, Doctor Chakwas knows what she's doing," Elena says. Eden Prime had just been a handful of hours ago. It's so odd to think about, it feels like she just got out of medbay to talk to Anderson.

"I never properly thanked you for saving me from the geth. If you hadn't shown up-" Liara shudders slightly.

"I'm just glad we got there in time," Elena smiles.

"So am I. I know you took a chance bringing me aboard this ship. I see the way your crew looks at me. They do not trust me. I am not my mother-I will do whatever I can to help you stop Saren, I promise," Liara promises, so eager to earn her trust. She's spent more time around dust and dirt than she has guns-Elena knows she's not likely to be a threat. It won't come to that.

"Don't worry, Liara. I trust you. I know you won't let me down," Elena assures her and Liara smiles.

"It means a lot to hear you say that, Commander. Thank you," Liara says and Elena smiles reassuringly.

"How often are you alone in Prothean ruins?" Elena wonders and Liara grins bashfully.

"Quite often. I spend most of my time in remote places all over the galaxy, unearthing mundane things in those ruins. I love my work-I know others might think it would be boring-but I love seeking out history's lost secrets," Liara smiles, lost in thought.

Elena thinks about what she knows of asari-they were the first species to find the Citadel station. They helped form the Council-they live for hundreds of years-and they're diplomats, seeing themselves as part of a collective galaxy.

"I don't think most people really understand that choice, but it's mine," Liara admits, and Elena nods.

"I think I'm going to try and rest, I'm not used to being on ships and running on human schedules," Liara says and Elena nods.

"Goodnight," Elena says.

* * *

"I think there's something wrong here," Caroline says as soon as Elena sees her, barely a minute after she's left Liara.

"With the ship?" Elena asks and Caroline shakes her head, ponytail bouncing slightly. It makes Elena think of her own long braid of hair.

"This Saren guy is looking for records on some kind of galactic extinction, but we can't get backup from the Council?" Caroline asks and Elena keeps a neutral face.

"Sorry, Commander. But there's writing on the wall here and they're not reading it. It's driving me crazy," Caroline sighs.

"The Council doesn't want to believe anything is going on. I'd call it human nature but-" Elena trails off.

"I hear you. It just seems like a group that's been around as long as the Council should see this coming. It's funny-we called space the final frontier, and we finally got out here. Space was already settled and we were late to the party. And the people who are here don't seem impressed by the view or the dangers," Caroline says.

"They're just used to it. We'll get used to it too. Don't worry about it too much Forbes, we've got a whole crew here. If we need to call for help in this chase, we will. But we will stop Saren. We're not going to let the galaxy go extinct," Elena reassures her and Caroline exhales.

"You're right. I've been doing a little too much research and got in my head about this. See you at dinner?" Caroline asks and Elena nods. Since she's been talking to her crew today, she might as well go talk to Elijah. It's just a crew thing, she tells herself.

* * *

"Commander, how are you?" Elijah asks.

"I'm okay, I've been walking around, trying to get to know my crew better," Elena tells him and he takes that in.

"I see. Ask away," Elijah says.

"Why did you want to be a C-Sec officer?" Elena wonders. Elijah grins, flashing white teeth and Elena's heart definitely doesn't skip a beat.

"That's a good question. There were several reasons, I guess. It was partially my father, he was in C-Sec-and one of the best. I grew up hearing about his accomplishments and seeing his picture on the news after big arrests. But I had my own reasons too. Like most officers, I wanted to fight injustice and I wanted to help people. My father is taking my resignation pretty hard," Elijah admits.

"I get that-but is he impressed you're on the team after Saren?" Elena asks, and Elijah laughs.

"My father's a C-Sec man to his bones. He always told my siblings and I that we needed to do things the right way or not at all. He thinks it was a rash choice, but it wasn't. He talked me out of becoming a Spectre when I was younger," Elijah says and Elena raises an eyebrow.

"You were asked to be a Spectre?" Elena asks and Elijah nods, with a grin on his face.

"Well, I was targeted as a possible candidate-me and a thousand other triarri military recruits. I could have received special training but my father didn't like that. He doesn't like the idea of the Spectres, the idea of people having unlimited powers with little accountability. He wouldn't like you because you are a Spectre," Elijah informs her.

"I suppose I can understand his concern. But Saren isn't going to play by the rules, C-Sec's rules, our rules. He's a Spectre and he doesn't care about red tape. No one would catch him if they had to worry about all of that red tape. But just because the rules don't technically apply to me doesn't mean I'm not going to follow them. I don't need to stoop to Saren's level. None of us do," Elena says and Elijah nods in agreement.

"That's a good way of putting it. Occasionally though, there's too much red tape to get anything done. That's one of the reasons I quit C-Sec, I could have done so much more, helped so many more people, if I didn't have to deal with so many rules and regulations. Being here, it's exciting-absolutely. It's dangerous and unpredictable. But-I'm here to help because this is something I can do that's going to make a direct difference, I'm helping you, and I'm a part of a great crew. I'm honored to be here and I'm looking forward to getting to know you and everyone else here," Elijah says.

Elena smiles but doesn't let it get too wide-she definitely doesn't have a crush blooming in her chest like some kind of alien plant parasite. She doesn't have any feelings for a man she just met a few hours ago. Honestly, she needs a nap before they deal with whatever gets thrown at them next.


	10. Abandoned

AN: I got done with finals on Wednesday afternoon, got home, started writing this, and finished it today (Thursday). It's been insane. I was a full time student this semester and working five days a week-on top of some other drama. I'm moving twice before August-I got into a 4 year university for a medical (ish) program that's really tough and competitive so I will be swamped-but I'm hoping that after I move and things settle-I'll be able to schedule writing. I haven't forgotten about my fics, I think about them every day. Hope you guys like this!

* * *

"Hey, Commander? There's a distress beacon nearby-a human merchant ship, I think we should go investigate," Joker says over the intercom.

"How close can we get to the ship? Is it active? Is there a recording?" Elena asks. Joker pauses and she gets her armor back on as she waits for a response.

"It's adrift. Sending a squad in a shuttle would be the safest option. And no, it's just the signal, no audio of any kind," Joker tells her and she weighs the risks. If they can't leave them if the ship needs help-on the other hand, she wants Joker on guard in case it's a trap.

"Right, tell Mikaelson, Forbes, and Tali to suit up. They could need our help but this could be a trap. I want you watching and waiting to pull us out-get Salvatore to help you up here," Elena tells him and he nods.

"On it," he tells her and she thinks of what guns she should take with her as they end the call.

* * *

None of them really look like they match-Elena thinks. Caroline is in red armor with a matching helmet in her hand, Elijah's in black and blue, and Tali's in purple and black. Elena's mostly in black with the red and white stripe down the right arm of her suit-they don't quite look like an organized squad. Then again, she's picked all of them up from different places, and she's not sure how well an Alliance picked squad would have worked for this mission.

"We aren't sure of anything right now. We don't know whose ship that is, if anyone's on board, or if there's oxygen. There might be hostiles-we won't know until we board. Survivors are our priority. There might not be any-Joker's still looking into how long the ship's been putting out the distress signal," Elena tells them and they nod. The shuttle doors close and they put their helmets on. They have flashlights with their guns-if it is an abandoned ship-it's going to be dark.

"Joker, can you hear me?" Elena asks.

"Loud and clear, Commander. You're all hooked up to the Normandy. You can hear us and we can hear you," Joker confirms.

"Thanks Joker," Elena replies and they wait. The shuttle is silent as they wait-it's only a few minutes but it somehow seems longer in the small space when they're all in bulky armor. Elijah checks his clips, Caroline stretches her legs, and Tali's bright eyes blink a few times before the shuttle stops moving.

"You should be at the docking point. Is it working?" Joker asks as the shuttle doors slowly open to reveal an airlock. Tali looks at it then back to Elena, waiting for her to speak.

"The airlock isn't open, but we are at the docking point," Elena confirms.

"I can get it open," Tali offers and Elena nods. The doors click and slide open, revealing a dark hallway. Elena carefully turns on her flashlight and they wait. Nothing moves, nothing makes noise, and still something sets her on edge. They exit the shuttle, and Tali shuts the airlock behind them. The white hallway seems long, and Elena's aware of her even breathing as they begin to turn a corner.

"Human blood," Elijah points and Elena wonders how he knows it's human. Caroline asks what she's thinking. The splatter on the wall looks oxidized and dry-but it's not a big enough stain for her to assume it was a lethal wound-and there's not a body.

"Well, triarri have blue blood like turians, salarians have green, and asari have purple, and I don't know any others," Elijah answers. Tali laughs.

"Almost nobody knows what color quarian blood is-if you see it, we're probably out of our suits or have a suit leak. So we're dead or dying," Tali informs them as they keep walking. Caroline raises an eyebrow and then nods-Tali's probably not wrong.

"Still no sign of life, Joker," Elena tells him.

"I found out that it's a merchant vessel. They sold maps for planets, colonies, and star systems. Still working on finding a crew list or anything else," Joker informs them. The ship design and the blood indicate that it's fairly new-the blood is recent-this isn't years old.

The door in front of them glows a dull red, showing that it's locked as they look around. Tali unlocks the door and they slowly walk through the dark ship-tense but ready. The ship is running on emergency power, and there's something better and worse about abandoned ships. Elena would rather be with an armed squad in a confined ship than in a dark street on Earth. Still, part of her reminds her that if they're on a street they could run away-and oxygen usually isn't an issue in places with atmospheres. Elena shudders at the thought of slowly dying without oxygen-one of her biggest fears when she joined the Alliance. They go through almost untouched rooms-but it's not until they hit the crew quarters that they see a body.

There's more than a dozen people, dead in their bunks.

"Keelah," Tali murmurs, and they all lower their guns. Tali bends down to look at one of the bodies.

"These wounds look similar to bodies geth leave behind," she notes.

"Maybe they killed them for their maps? Maybe they knew where the Conduit was," Caroline suggests as Tali unlocks the next door. There are computer terminals, glowing dimly in the dark. Tali wastes no time turning one on and typing away.

"I found the ship manifest. There's crew logs, and a list of crew members on board. They had a few new star clusters mapped-and someone downloaded them yesterday," Tali tells them, not looking up from the computer.

"Which matches up with the bodies," Elijah says.

"Do they have anyone to contact in their logs? Loved ones? Bosses? We can't just leave them here," Elena says and Tali nods.

"Already looking," Tali assures her and Elijah stands next to her as they look through data.

"This kind of reminded me of those Alien movies, you know, with Ellen Ripley," Caroline says and Elena nods. A lot of suspense and waiting for something to just jump out-she had similar thoughts when she was younger.

"Alien movies?" Elijah asks, and they can almost see the raised eyebrow look he must be giving under his helmet.

"About a two hundred years ago, there were a series of films called the Alien franchise. It was science fiction horror about humans finding hostile, killer alien life called xenomorphs. They never speak, just kill. The movies were good for their time. We didn't think there was life outside of Earth-and mute, hostile killing machines were absolutely terrifying," Caroline says. Elena is thankful that Tali and Elijah look intrigued rather than offended.

"Hey-I recognize that name. Garoth is the captain's brother-and lives on the Citadel. I remember he was asking around about who could investigate his brother's disappearance. C-Sec doesn't have much jurisdiction outside of the Citadel-we told him to contact the Alliance.

"Let's make a few calls and get out of here," Caroline suggests.

"Can we download the star charts the geth took first?" Elena asks and Tali nods, tapping the omnitool on her arm and then the computer.

"Sending it to Joker," Tali confirms.

They couldn't save this crew-but they might be able to save others after they follow Saren and his geth. Those families will have some closure and the Alliance will pick the ship up and bring it closer to human space.

Sometimes that's all they can do.


End file.
